What to avoid
- Badly weathered or weather damaged timber (timber shouldn’t be breaking)
- Blooming or fungal growth
- Multicoloured timber, old timber may have hazardous paint
- Timber that is too thin
- Twisted or heavily bowed timber
How to choose recycled timber
with
Tom O'Shea
In this workshop Tom O’Shea shows what to avoid and what to look for when choosing recycled timbers. He discusses the benefits and rewards of working with recycled timber.
Materials
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Recycled timber
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Hand plane
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Screwdriver or metal implement for hardness testing
INTRODUCTION
How to choose recycled timber
“I like working with timbers that have a story to tell. Working with recycled materials and revealing inherent qualities fills me with pride and intrigues me.” - Tom O’Shea.
What to look for
- State of weathering
- Indications of stability such as bowing and twisting (look down edges)
- Amount of fixings
- Weight and hardness. Soft timbers are often easier to work, but less durable. Hard timbers are harder to work but more durable. Heavy timbers are more dense and strong but may be prone to warping. A good combination is hard and light weight timber.
TIPS
If there is bowing, the timber may still be usable, but in shorter pieces.
Use a hand plane to take off any weathering to reveal the timber underneath.